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The differences between research professors and senior scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research professor and a senior scientist. Additionally, a research professor has an average salary of $119,503, which is higher than the $106,672 average annual salary of a senior scientist.
The top three skills for a research professor include research projects, public health and data collection. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Research Professor | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $119,503 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $57.45 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,502 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Research professors lead the research culture in their departments. In some cases, they will do less undergraduate teaching and focus more on teaching post-graduates. They also teach students at higher education institutions. They focus on their research activities that include presenting research findings at conferences worldwide. They are involved in initiatives working with private sectors and other public sector bodies. Part of their duties includes marking assessed work, attending planning meetings to ensure cross-departmental parity, and doing administrative tasks within the department.
A senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Research professors and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Professor | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $119,503 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $212,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pasadena, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | New York University | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a research professor and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Research Professor | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research professors' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Research Professor | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |